Fitness models on the floor at CES 2016. Matt Weinberger/Business Insider This year, I made my first pilgrimage to CES, the Consumer Electronics Show, the world's largest tech event.

With over 170,000 registered attendees, CES is a daunting trip for anyone.

But if you can survive the crowds, the travel headaches, and the Uber surge pricing, you can learn a lot about the future of tech — from driverless cars to all--smart everything to a Shaq Attack.

Here are the key things I learned at CES 2016.

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Las Vegas is the perfect place to host the world's largest tech event. Not only does it have the infrastructure to handle 170,000 attendees, but the Vegas casino floor is also full of slot machines that are actually showcases for the latest big-screen curved displays and chair-mounted subwoofers.

Matt Weinberger/Business Insider

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The hottest technology of CES 2016, beyond a doubt, was anything having to do with cars. Faraday Future kicked things off with its 1,000-horsepower electric car concept...

Reuters

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...but really, it seems like a lot more of the showfloor buzz was around the more mundane, but still crucial, technology that goes into connecting cars and smartphones, including Google Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Matt Weinberger/Business Insider

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Furthermore, everybody wants in on the self-driving car phenomenon. Even companies like NVidia, Qualcomm, and BlackBerry's QNX car-focused division announced new software updates to support autonomous driving software development.

Matt Weinberger/Business Insider

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Thanks to the proliferation of smaller and faster processors, technology is increasingly touching every single aspect of our lives, like this scanner that can tell you how many calories are in a muffin.

Matt Weinberger/Business Insider

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When Shaq and his entourage need to get through the CES show floor to try on a new Fitbit, it doesn't matter how much of a hurry you're in — the Shaq Attack just ruined your itinerary.

Matt Weinberger/Business Insider

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Speaking of Shaq, fitness devices were one of the biggest things on display on the show floor, with lots of specific products for, say, basketball players or cyclists. That's probably because Fitbit, Jawbone, and the rest have proven the market.

Matt Weinberger/Business Insider

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Companies will go to insane lengths to be noticed, like the Snapchat ghost appearing on the famed Luxor pyramid.

Matt Weinberger/Business Insider

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People will wait in long lines for demoes of Oculus-powered virtual reality, even though they'll be able to buy the real thing in just a few months.

Steven Tweedie

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Smart appliances for the home are getting interesting, like the Marathon Laundry washer/dryer combo. It uses sensors and a built-in Internet connection to "learn" over time, adjusting things like the temperature depending on how often you use it, the pH of your water, and so on.

The Marathon Laundry 1.0. Note the big touchscreen, mainly used to get it online.
Matt Weinberger/Business Insider

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Still, between Amazon Echo, Apple HomeKit, Google's Nest, Zigbee, and other competing standards, it's going to be a little while before the market calms down enough to the point where I'm willing to really commit to any one company's products — you never know when something you buy today won't work with your phone tomorrow.

In addition to the technology, I also learned a lot about logistics as a first-timer. Getting between appointments on the Las Vegas strip can be time-consuming — it can take as long as half an hour just to get between neighboring casinos, depending on the time of day and how crowded it gets.

If you have a meeting off the Las Vegas strip, and Uber is on surge, get ready for dismal scenes like this one as you walk 1.5 miles down the side of the highway.

Matt Weinberger/Business Insider

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At some points during CES, it's only a bit more expensive to take a an Uber helicopter where you're going than to take an UberSelect car on surge pricing.

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But some of the best stuff that happens during CES doesn't happen at the show itself. This Google Chromecast party featured Fetty Wap and took over the Bellagio's hip Hyde nightclub. There were also parties featuring Beck, Nelly, Lil Jon, and Lady Gaga, to name a few.

Matt Weinberger/Business Insider

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Similarly, some companies like choose not to participate in the CES show floor at all, instead renting out their own private space in and around the convention center. Lenovo, seen here, actually rented out two entire restaurants to use as their home base during the show. There were also a lot of secret business meetings — the CEOs of Google and Snapchat were reportedly around, as were top execs from nearly every other major tech company.

Matt Weinberger/Business Insider

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Finally, and the best tip I can give Vegas travelers — most resorts offer free WiFi on the casino floor. During the day, especially, you can find a bar table and set up. (A notable exception is the Westgate hotel.)

Matt Weinberger/Business Insider

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CES was completely overwhelming, and at the end of it I felt like I'd been in a street fight. But despite the sensory overload, I learned a lot, and had a great time. I'll definitely be back.